A Glimpse of John K and Rachel (Truax) Carson in 1880
In 1880 John and Rachel lived in the Village of Warfordsburg, Bethel Township, Fulton County, Pennsylvania. Members of Rachel's family helped establish the town, including her father, Stilwell Truax and her grandfather, Benjamin Junior. Benjamin Senior, her Great Grandfather was one of the early settlers in the region of Bethel, coming there from New Jersey before the Revolution.
John and Rachel's household was documented for the U.S. Census on 5 June 1880. Typically census information is considered suspect by researchers, since information was often recorded whether people were home or not, answers were given by people in the home with limited knowledge of others in the same home, and the enumerator would record information incorrectly due to misunderstandings, misspellings and numerous other reasons. We are fortunate, however, that John happened to be his own enumerator for this particular census. Therefore, we can consider the information found here to be what John believed, or at least as he desired to record it.
John lists his own birthplace as Maryland. He records his father’s birthplace as Ireland, and his mother’s as Maryland. He is as employed as a carpenter. His wife is 27, and maintains the house. John writes that she and both of her parents were born in Pennsylvania. They have three daughters in the home. John lists them as Amelia L (age 5), Laura A (4), and Sarah E (1). In addition, John’s sister Maggie, is also listed. She is 30 years old with no occupation. Oddly, John lists Rachel's birthplace as Maryland, when most existing evidence records her as being a native of the region in which she and John live.
John provides valuable clues to his past, including where his father and mother were born, and that he had a sister called "Maggie". But, questions remain. Was his father actually born in Ireland, or was that a family legend? Was he still alive, and if so, where did he live? What of his mother, and who is this sister Maggie, who appears in no other records I've found to date? Was she actually named Margaret?
The fact that John was a census enumerator may provide additional information if employment records from the 1880 census still exist. We should know soon, as a request for any records about John was sent to the U.S. Government under the Freedom of Information Act on 2 February 2005. Do you think we'll discover something new, some clue, or an answer to one of our questions? Or do you think this will turn out to be another brick wall?
UPDATED 11 March 2005: The National Personnell Records Center writes, ""There are very few personnel records on file at this center dating back to the period outlined in your request. Appropriate record groups have been searched but no personnel records were located." Another brick wall.
Here is the signature of John K Carson from the 1880 U.S. Census page containing his own family:
John and Rachel's household was documented for the U.S. Census on 5 June 1880. Typically census information is considered suspect by researchers, since information was often recorded whether people were home or not, answers were given by people in the home with limited knowledge of others in the same home, and the enumerator would record information incorrectly due to misunderstandings, misspellings and numerous other reasons. We are fortunate, however, that John happened to be his own enumerator for this particular census. Therefore, we can consider the information found here to be what John believed, or at least as he desired to record it.
John lists his own birthplace as Maryland. He records his father’s birthplace as Ireland, and his mother’s as Maryland. He is as employed as a carpenter. His wife is 27, and maintains the house. John writes that she and both of her parents were born in Pennsylvania. They have three daughters in the home. John lists them as Amelia L (age 5), Laura A (4), and Sarah E (1). In addition, John’s sister Maggie, is also listed. She is 30 years old with no occupation. Oddly, John lists Rachel's birthplace as Maryland, when most existing evidence records her as being a native of the region in which she and John live.
John provides valuable clues to his past, including where his father and mother were born, and that he had a sister called "Maggie". But, questions remain. Was his father actually born in Ireland, or was that a family legend? Was he still alive, and if so, where did he live? What of his mother, and who is this sister Maggie, who appears in no other records I've found to date? Was she actually named Margaret?
The fact that John was a census enumerator may provide additional information if employment records from the 1880 census still exist. We should know soon, as a request for any records about John was sent to the U.S. Government under the Freedom of Information Act on 2 February 2005. Do you think we'll discover something new, some clue, or an answer to one of our questions? Or do you think this will turn out to be another brick wall?
UPDATED 11 March 2005: The National Personnell Records Center writes, ""There are very few personnel records on file at this center dating back to the period outlined in your request. Appropriate record groups have been searched but no personnel records were located." Another brick wall.
Here is the signature of John K Carson from the 1880 U.S. Census page containing his own family:
posted by Steve | 12:00 PM
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